The New Orleans Saints are down to a 34-day wait until their 2025 regular season opener. New Orleans will open the year at home against the Arizona Cardinals and under a new head coach in Kellen Moore. Wearing No. 34 for the Saints in training camp is undrafted rookie Marcus Yarns. Our Saints Player of the Day, here’s a closer look at Yarns’ background that led to New Orleans.
Name (age): Marcus Yarns (23)
Relative Athletic Score: 9.00
Drafted: Undrafted in 2025 (Saints)
2025 salary cap hit: $846,666
A three-sport star at Parkside High School in Maryland, Yarns suffered a knee injury that cost him his senior year of football. The injury lightened his recruiting offers, and he would ultimately commit to the University of Delaware. Yarns missed most of his freshman year with a broken leg, then played sparingly in 2021. He’d earn more playing time by 2022, flashing explosiveness that would make him a starter the following year. In 2023, Yarns erupted for 939 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, adding another 3 scores on 24 receptions and 311 yards. Yarns capped off his collegiate career with 844 rushing yards and 297 more as a receiver last season, scoring 11 touchdowns.
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Speed. That is the biggest attribute that Marcus Yarns brings to the NFL and will be the key to a potential roster spot. Yarns has tremendous explosiveness to get into open space and terrific elusiveness once he’s there. He’ll have competition at a crowded New Orleans backfield position, as he goes up against Kendre Miller, Cam Akers, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and fellow rookie Devin Neal. Yarns wasn’t a great inside runner in college, but showed good vision for open lanes, great burst, and good receiving skills. The Saints have a history at finding successful backs who went undrafted. Yarns has the abilities to add his name to that list and will be a player to watch throughout preseason.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Marcus Yarns is the Saints Player of Day 34